1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly, to a device for and a method of sensing a level of condensed water collected in a container to prevent overflow thereof.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional air conditioner comprises: an inlet grill member 6 mounted on the frontal lower portion of a main body 2, with a plurality of slots 4 to inlet the indoor air; a filter member 8 installed inside inlet grill member 6, for filtering impurities contained in the indoor air which is inlet through slots 4 of inlet grill member 6; an indoor heat-exchanger 10 installed inside filter member 8, for heat-exchanging the indoor air filtered by filter member 8 into cold wind or hot wind; an outlet 12 mounted on the upper portion of main body 2, for discharging the air heat-exchanged by means of indoor heat-exchanger 10; a blow fan 14 mounted over indoor heat-exchanger 10, for sending the air heat-exchanged by indoor heat-exchanger 10 to outlet 12; a duct member 16 installed around blow fan 14 so as to guide the flow of the air sent to outlet 12; and an operating portion 18 mounted on a front of main body 2, for adjusting the operating mode (automation, cooling, dehumidifying, ventilating, heating, etc.) of the air conditioner, the start and stop of operating, and the flux and wind direction of the air discharged through outlet 12.
Outlet 12 includes: a plurality of left and right wind adjusting blades 12A which cause the direction of the cold wind or hot wind heat-exchanged by indoor heat-exchanger 10 to be changed in right and left direction; and a plurality of up and down wind adjusting blades 12B which are perpendicular to left and right wind adjusting blades 12A and cause the direction of the cold wind or hot wind to be changed in up and down direction.
During the operation of the air conditioner, moisture is generated by the state change of inner devices in case of heat-exchanging through indoor heat-exchanger 10. As moisture increases, condensed water runs down from indoor heat-exchanger 10 and then collects in a condensed water bucket 100 mounted under indoor heat-exchanger 10. To remove the condensed water which collects in condensed water bucket 100, an aperture is formed in a bottom of condensed water bucket 100 and then connected with a hose in order to discharge the condensed water collecting in condensed water bucket 100 to outside.
When the aperture formed in condensed water bucket 100 is stopped up with impurities such as dust, however, the condensed water which collects in condensed water bucket 100 is not discharged to outside through the hose, continuously collecting in bucket 100, and thereby overflowing condensed water bucket 100. As a result, there may occur a shorting of electric parts inside the air conditioner. That can be the cause of break-downs and fire of the air conditioner. In addition, the condensed water which overflows condensed water bucket 100, leaks out to inside! so that furniture or floor covered with laminated paper is damaged.